Travel Photography. The Secrets to a Great Adventure

When you travel you want to share your adventure with family and friends. After many travels and seventeen years of looking at your vacation photographs I have found there is a formula to producing good travel photographs and great travel presentations.

My vacation slide shows and photo albums have two goals: tell the story of the adventure and share my feeling for the location. The secret is to remember these goals when producing your photographs and while organizing your photo album.

While on location I am careful to shoot photos that capture the spirit of the adventure and tell the story. Always begin with informative TITLE photos. Let the audience know where you are with images of well-known landmarks (Golden Gate Bridge, Eiffel Tower) and photos of signs or descriptive images (Santa Fe 10 miles). Make your titles interesting by including people wherever appropriate.

You visit remote locations because of the natural beauty. Bring back beautiful SCENIC photos to make your audience jealous! What drew you to this place: mountains, oceans, rivers, architecture? I show the beauty and scenic grandeur through my photography. Remember that a visit to India would not be complete without photos of Indians. Photograph the local PEOPLE to bring the audience in contact with the place. Nothing says more about a locale than the local indigenous population. Use wide-angle lenses in close for groups or crowds (the market place in Marrakech) and telephoto for faces and candid images. Always learn the local customs and respect their rules, regulations, and privacy. While in Italy I want my photographs to taste, smell, and feel Italy. I capture the LOCAL FLAVOR by looking for the images that are unique to Italy. What photos makes you feel the location: the marketplace with street vendors, the town square with old men discussing politics or the beautiful stained glass windows in the cathedral. Search out the local images and bring them home.

Back home I am careful to have my film processed only by a quality lab. Now the most difficult process begins, EDITING! Keep only the best, dispose of the rest.

Tell the story of the adventure by logically organizing the photos in an order that is easily followed. Use your titles to tell the audience where you are, how you got there, and who went with you. I like to indulge a few too many titles rather that too few. Move through the adventure telling the story through the images. Use your photos that best captured the scenic grandeur, people, and local flavor in your slide show, Power Point presentation or photo album. Make every image you selected tell part of the story and impart your feeling for the location. If you edit ruthlessly, move logically, and show your feelings the audience will beg for more!